Welcome! 

My name is Vamsi and I'm running to represent the Willows, Suburban Park, Flood Triangle, and Lorelei Manor on the Menlo Park City Council. 

I moved to Menlo right before my daughter was born, drawn by the community, the schools, and the quality of life built by prior visionaries. We stay because Menlo Park continues to be a great place to raise a family. This city has given us so much, and that is why I want to give something back.

Over the past eight years of the same leadership, the City has struggled to get things moving, impacting our ability to keep what works and change what doesn’t. I believe it is time for a fresh start for a better Menlo Park. We can make this happen by planning responsibly for growth, investing in our quality of life, and solving hard problems together.

• Plan responsibly for growth 

  • I’ll find practical ways to build more homes, so teachers, first responders, downtown employees, and growing families don’t have to choose between putting down roots and making ends meet. 

  • I’ll avoid the dysfunction that opened the legal door to the “Builder’s Remedy” Sunset campus skyscraper proposal. I will accelerate efforts to push the Sunset developer to come to the negotiating table with a much smaller proposal.

  • I’ll create a comprehensive plan to revitalize our downtown to become an appealing destination, with new affordable homes delivering paying patrons, sufficient parking for those that need it, and fresh opportunities for new storefronts.

  • I’ll push to refresh and activate a plan for managing traffic and safety given increasing density and development throughout the City.

• Invest in our Quality of Life 

  • I'll fight for meaningful investments as opposed to cuts: safer streets for all users, climate leadership, proactive policing, reliable city services, enriching spaces for kids and the community, and adding to the tree canopy that makes Menlo Park so distinctive. 

  • I’ll fund these investments by ensuring mega tech companies contribute more to the city they call home and impact heavily, rather than tapping struggling residents and small businesses.

  • I’ll make it easier for homeowners to upgrade their homes by streamlining the application process for “substandard lots,” which represent more than 50% of all current homes.

• Solve hard problems together

  • I’ll tackle the hard problems, and not make excuses; I believe asking for your vote means taking responsibility for what happens on my watch, not blaming others when things go sideways.

  • I’ll bring people together to find areas where we can agree and make progress, not get stuck endlessly in the areas where we disagree. That means I won’t just vote at City Council and then go home.

  • Meetings at City Hall and weekly office hours, though important, don’t fit with the busy lives of most residents. I’ll bring the discussions to your neighborhoods and your doorsteps.

Menlo Park’s best days are ahead if we make smart decisions today. As your neighbor, I’d be honored to earn your vote and get to work.